In 2024, Australians set a new benchmark in online shopping, spending an impressive $69 billion, driven by a strong preference for sales and digital marketplaces. According to Australia Post’s 2025 Annual eCommerce Report, online marketplace transactions dominated at nearly $16 billion, with food and liquor purchases reaching $13.6 billion and fashion and apparel contributing $9.6 billion.
Millennials led the spending surge, accounting for nearly $25 billion, followed by Gen X at $19 billion, Gen Z at $12 billion, and Baby Boomers at $10 billion. Overall, this expenditure marked a 12 per cent increase from the previous year, led significantly by regional consumers who exhibited a 2.9 per cent increase year on year.
The report highlighted that Toowoomba, Mackay, and Point Cook emerged as the top online shopping locations in Australia. In contrast, major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra experienced more restrained spending, attributed to household debt, rising property prices, and heightened concerns over interest rates, according to Commonwealth Bank’s senior economist, Belinda Allen.
Despite the growth in total spending, basket sizes—the average value of transactions—dropped to the lowest in a decade due to prevailing cost of living pressures. The average basket size fell by 2.1 per cent, landing at approximately $95. Shoppers were particularly motivated by sales events, with last year’s Black Friday generating a record $2.2 billion in online sales.
As Gary Starr from Australia Post noted, the ongoing cost-of-living challenges prompted Australians to utilise sales and loyalty programmes to maximise their budgets. Although many businesses expressed concern that frequent sales might condition consumers to only purchase discounted products, it seems that strategic shopping influenced by sales events is now a common practice among Australian consumers.
The findings indicate that while the eCommerce sector thrives, shifts in consumer behaviour—such as prioritising bargains over value—are reshaping the landscape of online retail in Australia.